


Absent Friends

by DesertVixen



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Missing Scene, follows Preemptive Strike
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-04
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2019-02-28 03:19:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13262523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesertVixen/pseuds/DesertVixen
Summary: Beverly Crusher introspection for "Preemptive Strike"





	Absent Friends

**Author's Note:**

  * For [weaselett](https://archiveofourown.org/users/weaselett/gifts).



Dr. Crusher studied Ro Laren – Lieutenant Ro, now – wondering if Jean-Luc wasn’t pushing her too hard. The young Bajoran had never been an easy-going person, but despite her excellent medical readings, Beverly could tell she was stressed. She didn’t know what the upcoming mission was, but Ro was nervous.

She would definitely be talking to Jean-Luc at breakfast.

“Is everything okay?” Beverly offered a smile. 

Ro nodded. “It will be,” she said firmly. “It’s good to be back.”

“Things weren’t the same without you,” Crusher said with a smile. "It's good to have you back."

“I missed being on the Enterprise,” she said with a wistful tone, as she turned to go.

Later, Beverly Crusher would wonder if that had been Ro's attempt to say farewell.

*** 

Beverly Crusher sat at the table in Ten Forward, staring out at the expanse of space. 

Ro Laren was gone, and this time she wouldn’t be coming back. She wasn’t the first Starfleet officer to defect to the Maquis, or the last, but her loss hurt. Jean-Luc had been fairly close-mouthed about it, but Riker had talked to Beverly afterwards. At least he had been able to say goodbye.

Had they all asked too much of her? Asking her to serve a Federation that had stood by during her childhood, asking her to betray people she sympathized with?

“Penny for your thoughts?” Guinan said, appearing beside the table as if by magic.

“Thinking about absent friends,” Crusher said quietly. 

“I miss her too.” Guinan sat at the table. “Things won’t be the same without her.”

“No,” Beverly said after a long moment, before staring out into space again. “They won’t be.”

She hoped Ro would be okay. More, she hoped that she found what she needed.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like it! The Maquis angle always interested me, and I always felt like Ro got the short end of this deal.


End file.
